Church History
Teachers
Lesson Summary
Arthur Clark taught a comprehensive overview of the late Middle Ages, focusing on how papal power grew as the church became increasingly intertwined with political authority. The lesson began with significant historical dates: Constantine's move of the capital to Constantinople in 330, Emperor Theodosius I's reign (379-395) during which he enforced the Nicene Creed, and subsequent Germanic invasions that weakened Rome's political stability. Clark highlighted Pope Leo the Great (died 461) as a pivotal figure who was the first pope to use New Testament scriptures to justify papal authority, specifically citing Matthew 16:16-19 regarding the church being built on Peter, Luke 22:32 about Peter's oversight responsibility, and John 21:15-19 about feeding the sheep. The class traced the growth of papal power through the consolidation of the Roman pontiff's supremacy over Western churches following the East-West Schism of 1054. Clark explained that Michael Cerularius, Patriarch of Constantinople, opposed three major Roman practices: the addition of the Filioque clause ("and the Son") to the Nicene Creed, the use of Latin in church services rather than Greek, and the imposition of Latin ritual practices in Eastern churches. These disputes were both theological and political in nature, reflecting deeper tensions between Eastern and Western Christianity. Throughout the lesson, Clark emphasized that understanding this period of increasing church-state commingling was essential for comprehending the later Protestant Reformation. He demonstrated how the papacy's political power sometimes exceeded that of emperors and kings, while at other times secular rulers dominated ecclesiastical affairs. This historical foundation proved crucial for understanding why Reformation leaders sought to reform specific practices and doctrines rooted in these medieval developments.
Key Scriptures
And Simon Peter answered him, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.